Russian-Made Vodka Leaves US Supermarkets, Liquor Stores Shelves

The war in Ukraine has sparked a boycott of Russian-made liquor in parts of the U.S. Alabama, Maine, New Hampshire, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Utah, West Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Oregon, have all banished Russian-made vodka from their shelves, according to Forbes.

An executive order issued by Gov. Spencer Cox, R-Utah, required the state's Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control to remove Russian-produced and branded products from shelves.

“Russia’s ruthless attack on a sovereign nation is an egregious violation of human rights,” said Cox. “Utah stands in solidarity with Ukraine and will not support Russian enterprises, no matter how small the exchange.”

Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., called on Russian vodka to be drained and for the empty bottles to be sent to Ukraine to be used as Molotov cocktails. Meanwhile, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott asked businesses and retailers to remove all Russian products from their shelves.

On a more individual level, the Washington Post reports that bars are renaming drinks like Moscow Mules and are pouring out Russian vodka in protest. Chain stores like Publix and Total Wine & More also joined in on the boycott of Russian liquor, according to CNN.

However, smaller Russian vodka manufacturers, Hammer and Sickle, owned by the Massachusetts-based Klin Group, and Zyr vodka, both shared statements against the war and pointed out that the boycott will hurt them more than it will hurt the Kremlin or Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Lisa Hawkins, senior vice president for public affairs for the Distilled Spirits Council, told CNN that “there is not a lot of Russian-made vodka in the US marketplace.” Russian-made vodka imports are down 79% since 2011 and accounted for 1.3% of total vodka imports in 2021, Hawkins said.